1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to containers and, more particularly, to container assemblies that comprise one or more components or sub-assemblies that are uniquely adapted to releasably engage a diluting dispenser as disclosed herein. The present invention further relates to container assemblies that are uniquely adapted for both handheld and wall mounted dispensing applications.
2. Background Art
Container assemblies and their sub-assemblies have been known in the art for years and are the subject of a plurality of patents and publications, including: U.S. Pat. No. 8,919,587 entitled “Plastic Container with Angular Vacuum Panel and Method of Same,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,206 entitled “Blow Molded One-Piece Bottle,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,092 entitled “Saturated Polyester Resin Bottle,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,489 entitled “Plastic Bottle,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,632 entitled “Container,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,724 entitled “Thin-Walled Container and Method of Making the Same,” United States Patent Application Publication Number 2012/0267381 entitled “Container,” United States Patent Application Publication Number 2007/0210123 entitled “Container Having Blown Pour Spout,” United States Patent Application Publication Number 2007/0045222 entitled “Rectangular Container,” United States Patent Application Publication Number 2005/0139609 entitled “Pour Spout Fitment and Container,” U.S. Pat. No. D741,715 S entitled “Container,” U.S. Pat. No. D686,080 S entitled “Bottle,” U.S. Pat. No. D627,231 S entitled “Container,” U.S. Pat. No. D584,155 S entitled “Bottle,” and U.S. Pat. No. D548,595 S entitled “Bottle,”—all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety including all references cited therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,919,587 appears to disclose a plastic container having sidewall portions, and methods of manufacturing the same. The sidewall portion can accommodate a vacuum in a filled and sealed container and includes a plurality of columns extending between upper and lower ends of the sidewall portion, and a plurality of vacuum panels oriented vertically between respective adjacent ones of the columns, each vacuum panel including an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section, a first hinge connecting the upper and middle sections, and a second hinge connecting the middle and lower sections. The vacuum panels can move radially inward toward a container central axis such that the container vacuum is accommodated. As the vacuum panel moves radially inward, the middle section can maintain a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the central axis, and the upper and lower sections rotate about first and second hinges, respectively, and incline away from the central axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,206 appears to disclose a one-piece self-supporting blow molded plastic container having a generally cylindrical side wall and a bottom wall which extends downwardly and inwardly from the side wall. A plurality of wall portions extend downwardly from the bottom wall forming hollow legs extending below the bottom wall having planar feet which are inclined upwardly and inwardly from the outer edges of the feet. When filled, the bottom wall deflects downwardly and the inclined feet are moved into substantially horizontal positions such that the feet define a substantially flat supporting surface engaging area for the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,092 appears to disclose a saturated polyester resin bottle made thin by biaxial orientation and comprising a trunk portion formed to have a regular polygonal cross section consisting of a plurality of generally upright flat sides separated by vertically oriented ribs. When the interior of the bottle is subjected to a vacuum, the flat sides uniformly warp radially inwardly to accommodate the vacuum without detracting from the appearance of the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,489 appears to disclose a plastic bottle for holding liquids such as carbonated beverages under pressure. The bottle, a one-piece, self-standing biaxially-oriented plastic container, is generally cylindrical in body configuration with a spherical bottom from which several lobes or feet extend for supporting the bottle upright on a surface. The feet are also spherical in configuration and extend downwardly from the container bottom adjacent to the sidewall of the cylindrical body to support the bottle in a more stable upright position. The center of the bottom of the bottle may be depressed inwardly into the bottle to increase the clearance between the bottom and a surface on which the bottle stands. The configuration of the bottle serves to impart adequate strength and good resistance to eversion. The bottle can be made with a minimal amount of plastic for given performance characteristics, and at speeds that are economical, even for relatively small bottles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,632 appears to disclose a plastic body for use in a container which is adapted to hold product under vacuum, without undesirable deformation of the container. The body has a curvilinear bulge at the base of its cylindrical sidewall, and the bulge is dimensioned and configured to permit its slight deflection under vacuum which, in turn, facilitates upward movement of the bottom wall of the body. These changes effect a reduction of volume within the body, thereby reducing the level of vacuum which forms therewithin. The characteristics of the body render it particularly well-suited for production in relatively small sizes, utilizing relatively rigid synthetic resinous materials. It is also especially adapted for use in connection with a metal end closure, which may be hermetically sealed thereonto.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,724 appears to disclose a thin-walled container made from a yieldable material, for example, of a plastic material, that is preformed with walls bulged to a shape such that upon filling the container and allowing it to stand, bulging, which would have occurred had the container been made with planar walls, is substantially reduced or limited. The container is suitable for use to contain milk and is generally of square-type.
United States Patent Application Publication Number 2012/0267381 appears to disclose a container forming assembly and method that includes receiving a parison within a cavity of a mold, enclosing the parison within the mold having a wall with a recess, inflating the parison in the mold to form a blow molded container where the blow molded container has a sidewall, a movable region formed at the recess, and a hinge circumscribing an interface between the sidewall and the movable region, and moving or repositioning the movable region toward an interior of the blow molded container about the hinge before filling. The movable region can form a deep-set grip.
United States Patent Application Publication Number 2007/0210123 appears to disclose a one-piece plastic container that includes a body defining a longitudinal axis. The body includes an upper portion, a sidewall portion and a base portion. The upper portion includes a spout defining an opening into the container. The sidewall portion is integrally formed with and extends from the upper portion to the base portion. The base portion closes off an end of the container. The spout extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis.
United States Patent Application Publication Number 2007/0045222 appears to disclose a blow molded plastic container that has a body section having a substantially non-circular cross-sectional shape, the body section having an enclosed bottom portion that forms a bottom end of the container and substantially flat side portions extending upwardly from the bottom end; a finish defining an opening; and a dome extending from the body section to the finish. The dome includes at least one stiffening structure formed by an inwardly indented, vertically extending groove.
United States Patent Application Publication Number 2005/0139609 appears to disclose a pour spout fitment that has an enlarged spout opening thereby making it less susceptible to double pouring and advantageous for dispensing new flowable product forms, such as gels. The pour spout opening is large relative to the bottle opening which is equated with the fitment's circumscribing wall. Accordingly, the pour spout fitment is less susceptible to double pouring and may also be useful for pouring more viscous product forms such as gels.
While the above-identified patents and publications do appear to disclose container assemblies, their configurations remain non-desirous and/or problematic inasmuch as, among other things, none of the above-identified container assemblies appear to be uniquely adapted to releasably engage a diluting dispenser in the novel manner disclosed herein. Furthermore, none of the above-identified container assemblies appear to be uniquely adapted for both handheld and wall mounted dispensing applications.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly that is uniquely adapted to releasably engage a diluting dispenser as disclosed herein, namely; wherein the front wall of the container is flush or substantially flush with an adjacent vertical wall and/or a vertically disposed wall of the diluting dispenser when the neck and radial groove of the container assembly are mounted/connected to the diluting dispenser. It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a container assembly that is uniquely and ergonomically adapted for both handheld and wall mounted dispensing applications.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.